Hanoi gives Ceres-Negros the boot
HANOI—Ceres-Negros came within a whisker of a spectacular comeback as it crashed out of the AFC Cup on Tuesday night here.
Alvaro Silva’s goal-bound effort right at the death was blocked by a desperate Hanoi defense, allowing the Vietnamese champions to escape with a 3-2 win on aggregate in the Asean zone semifinal at Hang Day Stadium here.
Substitute Curt Dizon had given the Busmen a glimmer of hope with his 85th minute strike set up by Stephan Schrock and the Filipino champions pushed more men forward in search of a second away goal that would have sent them to the final for a third straight year.
But the Busmen ultimately paid the price for conceding twice in the second half.
“I think we lost to a better team,” said Ceres-Negros coach Risto Vidakovic.
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
